To our SimpleCar community,

After years of pushing, grinding, and giving this everything we had, the road for SimpleCar has come to an end. This is not the outcome we hoped for, but it is one I want to share with honesty, gratitude, and deep respect for everyone who believed in us.

When Alex and I started SimpleCar, the idea was bold but straightforward: build a vehicle subscription that worked the way ownership should. One fixed monthly price that included everything: a reliable car, insurance, roadside assistance, maintenance, pickups, drop-offs, and a team that treated people like people, not transactions. No fine print. No hidden fees. No credit checks. Just fairness, simplicity, and access in an industry that often practices the opposite.

When we launched in October 2021, the response exceeded our wildest expectations. Our proud fleet of five Priuses sold out in days and quickly turned into hundreds of people on a waitlist just a week later. That early validation told us what we believed all along: people were ready for a better way.

What followed confirmed it. We discovered a community of people failed by traditional car ownership. Young professionals who did not want car headaches while building their careers. Couples who needed a second car when one partner returned to work. Families who could not risk the stress of surprise repair bills. International students who needed a car quickly, without the long grind of building credit. People relocating for work or to care for family. Military families stationed temporarily. Retirees who wanted the freedom of driving without the burden of long-term ownership. And plenty of people simply tired of walking into a dealership bracing for a day of anxiety.

These were not the risky customers the industry warned us about. They were responsible, thoughtful people who took care of our cars, respected the trust we gave them, and told us SimpleCar gave them the freedom they could not find anywhere else. The results backed it up. Customers who were expected to churn in weeks stayed for years. The so-called undesirable applicants became our most loyal members. The Priuses nobody wanted? Gone in hours. Defaults and repossessions everyone predicted? Did not happen. And when we said no credit checks, no upfront payments, and insurance for everyone, we were told it was impossible. Until we proved otherwise.

So why shut down? Scaling a mobility company takes enormous resources, and we could not secure the funding to reach the next stage. This was not about demand or product fit. It was about capital, plain and simple. And in a time when capital is chasing the next AI play, putting people in cars looks like the hard, unsexy bet. Add to that the realities of the past few years: economic swings, shaky banks, inflation, investors pulling back, and lending practices stuck in another era, slow to adapt to modern needs. The odds were stacked. We were not just building a company; we were leaning on a system that resists change. In the end, we came up short. But the need remains, and the work will continue. Just not by us.

To our customers, thank you for trusting us and letting SimpleCar be a part of your lives. You proved that this model could work and turned an idea into something real. Serving you was the very best part of this journey. We hope the experience gave you more freedom, peace of mind, and convenience than you thought possible. We will never forget the stories you shared, the encouragement you gave, and the belief you put into something new.

To our partners, we know we were not always the easiest company to work with. We asked for exceptions, pushed against the usual rules, and created extra work along the way. For those of you who backed us, adapted, and found ways to support something different, thank you. You made this possible, and we will always value the flexibility and belief you gave us.

To our investors, in a world full of hype cycles and easy bets, you backed something that was hard, real, and deeply needed. You believed in serving everyday people where it mattered most, and that belief gave us the chance to prove what was possible. We are profoundly thankful for your trust, and we hope you continue to champion solutions that may not be flashy but truly change lives.

To the team, I am proud of what we built, but I am even prouder of who I got to build it with.

And to Alex, without you, there would be no story to tell. Thank you.

We carry forward hard-won lessons and plenty of ideas. If you share in the belief that mobility can be fairer and simpler, reach out. The work is far from over.

With endless gratitude and full belief in what is ahead,

Clyde